Process of extracting grease from wool.



No. 654,529. Patented July 24, I900.

W. EBBEN.

PROCESS OF EXTRAOTING GREASE FROM WOOL.

(Application filed my I}, 1900.)

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No. 654,529. V

ERBEN. Patentad .l l 24 m PROCESS OF EXTRAGTING GREASE FROM WOOL.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT @rrroa IVALTER ERBEN, O F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF EXTRACTING GREASE FROM WOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,529, dated July 24, 1900.

Original application filed January 29, 1900, fierial N0. 3,223. Divided and this application filed May 14, 1900. Serial No.

' 16,628. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER ERBEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Extracting Grease from 7001 by Volatile Solvents, (the same being a division of the invention-forming the subject of my application filed January 29, 1900, Serial No. 3,223,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an efiicient method of extracting grease from wool by means of naphtha or other available solvent, an object which I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of apparatus adapted for use in carrying out my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view, on a larger scale, of the extracting vessel. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a vaporizer forming part of the apparatus; and Fig. 4. is an enlarged sectional view of a condenser for the naphtha-vapor.

The extraction of grease from wool by means of naphtha or equivalent solvent of grease has been many times proposed, but has not, so far as I am aware, been extensively used, one of the objections to the process being the highly-inflammable character of the solvent, another being the difficulty of removing all traces of the solvent from the Wool after the grease has been extracted there from, and still another being the expensive character of the apparatus designed for carrying out the process.

My invention consists of a process designed with the view of reducing to a minimum the risk of fire due to the use of the inflammable solvent, the complete elimination of the solvent from the wool after the extraction of the grease, and the utilization of the potash salts in the Wool as an aid in the Washing of the same.

In the diagrammatic representation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, 1 is the extracting vessel; 2, 8, 4., 5, and 6, tanks for containing the naphtha or other solvent which is employed; 7, a vacuum-pump; 8, a water-pump; 9, a reservoir containing Water or other liquid of a greater specific gravity than the solvent and of a character to render it available in the Washing of wool; 10 and 11, Vaporizers for the solvent, and 12 a condenser for the same.

To simplify the description, I will hereinafter allude to the solvent simply as naphtha and to the contents of the reservoir 9 as water. i

The construction of the extractor will be understood on reference to Fig. 2, the body 1 having at the bottom a projecting cylinder containing a ram or plunger 61, which carries a pressenhead fitting snugly within the body 1 of the extractor and comprising a perforated plate 62,-which is mounted upon a hub 63 at the top of the plunger 61 and upon ribs or arms 64 projecting therefrom.

The top of the extractor l is closed by a cap or cover 65, which has a depending perforated plate 66, and around the top of the extractor is an annular chamber 6'7, which is in communication with the interior of the extractor through the perforated plate 66 and channels 90 between the same and the cap 65. the cylinder 60 from a high-pressure pump 68 through a pipe 69.

Each of the Vaporizers 10 and 1]. hasin the upper portion a perforated plate or diaphragm 70 and beneath the same a steam-coil 71, so that liquid entering the upper portion of the condenser passes through the perforated plate 70 and falls in the form of a spray or shower upon the steam-coil, which serves to vaporize the more volatile portions of the liquid, the

vapor escaping at the top of the vaporizer and the liquid accumulating in the lower portion of the latter, from which it can be drawn off as required through the pipe 72.

The condenser 12 contains a coil 73 and is provided with pipes 7a and '75, whereby a constant flow of Water or other cooling agent through the same can be maintained. The system has four main pipes 80, 81, 82, and 83, the main 8O communicating with the chamber 67 of the extractor and having three valves 13, 14, and 15, While the main 81 communicates with the lower end of the extractor and has three valves 16, 17, and 18. The main 82 constitutes a suctionmain of the pump 8 and has valves 38 and 40, the main 83 constitut- Fluid under pressure can be supplied to.

too

of the solvent-receptacles through branches having valves 19, 21, 23, and 25. The main 81 also communicates with the solvent-receptacle 6 and is in communication with the vacuum-pump 7 at a point between the valves.

. 17 and 18 through a branch having a valve 27, said vacuum-pump being'also in column nication with the main 80 at a point between the valves 14 and 15 through a branch having a valve 28. The main 8O communicates with the Vaporizers 10 and 11 through branches which are respectively provided with valves 43 and 44, and the Vapor-pipe of each vaporizer communicates with the condenser through branches which are respectively provided with valves 45 and 46, the condensercoil communicating with the solvent-receptacle 6 through a pipe having a valve 47. The

suction-main 82 of the pump communicates with the lower portion of each of the solventreceptacles 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 through branches which are respectively provided with valves 29, 31, 33, 35, and 42, and said main also com- Inunicates with the water-receptacle 9 through a branch having a valve 41. The pressuremain 83 of the pump communicates with the upper portion of the water vessel 9 and also with the lower portion of the solvent-receptacles 2, 3, 4, and 5 through branches provided, respectively, with the valves 30, 32, 34, and 36, and said main 83 is also in communication with the main 81 through a pipe having a valve 51 and is in communication with the main 82 through a pipe having a valve 48. The suction-main 82 has at a point between the valves 38 and 40 an inlet branch with valve 49, and the outlet-pipe 72 of the vaporizer 11 communicates with said main 82 through a valve 52, and also communicates with the water vessel 9 through a branch having a valve 53.

In the following description of the operation of the apparatus it should be understood that all the valves not specifically referred to as being open are closed.

The extractor is filled with wool while the presser-head is at the bottom of the extractor, and the cap or cover plate being then apapplied and secured in place the valves 13, 14, 27, and 28 are opened, the vacuum-pump is put in operation, and a partial vacuum is produced in the extractor by the operation of said pump, after which the valves 14, 27, and 28 are closed. The valves 13, 16', 19, 30, 50, 37, 40, and 41 being open, the water-pump is put in operation and water drawn from the receptacle 9 is forced into the lower portion of the solvent-receptacle 2, so that the solvent is caused to flow therefrom into the extractor under the combined influence of the partial vacuum therein and the inflowing volume of water, which being of greater specific gravity than the solvent retains its position in the lower portion of the receptacle. The extractor being filled with solvent, the valves are readjusted, the valves 20, 21, 29, 32, 37, 38, and 50 being open, so that the water may be withdrawn from the receptacle 2 and forced into the receptacle 3, thereby driving the solvent from the latter into the extractor and forcing the solvent contained in the latter back into the receptacle 2, and in like manner the solvent from the successive receptacles can be forced into theextractor, if such operation is necessary, in order to effect the complete extraction of the grease from the wool contained therein, or instead of returning the solvent, with the grease in solution therein, to the separate receptacles I 2, 3, 4, and 5 it may be passed directlytothe vaporizer 10 by opening the valves 14, 15, and 43, the vaporized solvent being conducted to the condenser and from the latter conveyed to the receptacle 6, from which it can be returned to any desired one of the receptacles 2, 3, 4, and 5 through the main 81, the water being withdrawn from each receptacle as the solvent is forced into the same and the solvent being forced from the receptacle 6 by the water-pressure from the main 83 on opening valves 39, 42, and 48. When the grease has been sufficiently extracted from the wool, the pump 68 is started, and fluid under pressure is introduced into the cylinder 60, so as to force upward the ram 61 and presser-head carried thereby, thereby subjecting the wool in the extractor to pressure sufficient to express from it the greater portion of the solvent contained in it, and the valves 16, 38, 40, and 41, and the valves in branches of the mains 81 and 82, leading to one of the receptacles 2, 3, 4, or 5, being open said solvent finds its way through the main 81 and valved branches to said solvent-receptacle. The

flow may, if desired, be aided by positively I drawing off water from the desired solventreceptacle by means of a pump 8 instead of merely permitting the water to flow from the receptacle, or a partial vacuum may be produced in the receptacle by means of the vacuum-pump 7, in which case the discharge of said pump should be led to the condenser 12, so as to condense any solvent-vapor therein. When the fluid under pressure is permitted to escape from the cylinder 60, the presserhead will descend in the extractor, thereby permitting the wool to again expand, and the valves 13, 14, 15, 16, 37, 40, 41, 44, 46, and 51 being opened water is pumped into the extractor and after passing through the wool contained therein is conveyed to the vaporizer 11, the solvent being vaporized and passing to the condenser 12, while water flows from the vaporizer either directly into the main 82 through the valve 52 of the pipe 72 or into the water-receptacle 9 through the branch pipe having a valve 53, to be again pumped through-the extractor, or if the water becomes too hot for this purpose the valve 49 in the supplementary suction-pipe may be opened and cold water may be supplied to the extractor, the surplus water escaping from the vessel 9 through a suitable overflow.

After the wool has been sufficiently washed fluid under'pressure is again admitted to the cylinder 60, so as to raise the presser-head in the extractor and express from the wool the surplus water contained therein, after which the presser-head can be lowered, the capplate removed, and the presser-head then again raised, so as to eject the cleaned and partially-dried wool from the extractor preparatory to the insertion of a new supply of wool and a repetition of the operation. The passage of the water through the wool contained in the extractor effects not only the removal of the remaining naphtha therefrom, but also the washing of the wool, the potash salts contained in the wool materially facilitating this latter operation, and owing to this thorough washing of the wool and to the expressing of the surplus water from the same after the Washing has been completed the wool is delivered from the extractor clean, almost dry, and wholly free from any traces of naphtha.

Although I have described the use of two Vaporizers 10 and 11, one for separating the naphtha from the grease and the other for separating the naphtha from the water, the same vaporizer may be used for both purposes, if desired.

The tank 6 is, by preference, provided with two check-valves, one opening outward and the other opening inward, so as to permit escape of air when the naphtha is flowing into the tank and the inflow of air when naphtha is being withdrawn therefrom.

The tank is the only element of the entire apparatus from which any naphtha-vapor can possibly escape, and as it can be located at any desired point remote from the building in which the treatment of the wool takes place there is no danger whatever of fire due to the presence of naphtha-vapor, the use of Water or other liquid as a means of forcing the naphtha through the extractor and other parts of the apparatus preventing the formation of any explosive or inflammable vapor within any of the other tanks.

The expressing of the surplus naphtha from the wool by pressure after the extraction of the grease very materially facilitates the f reeing of the wool from the naphtha, as only a small percentageof the latter remains to be removed by washing. Hence the time necessary to treat the batch of Wool is materially reduced as compared with the time required in carrying out a process in which washing or vaporization alone is resorted to for freeing the wool from the naphtha after the grease has been extracted, while the expressing of the surplus water from the wool after the washing operation enables me to deliver the wool in a condition best suited for subsequent scouring.

The apparatus which I have shown and described as a means of carrying out the process herein set forth forms the subject of applications for patent filed by me on the 26th day of April, 1898, Serial No. 678,874, and on the 14th day of May, 1900, Serial No. 16,624.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. A mode of extracting grease from wool by means of a solvent of the grease, said mode consisting in treating the wool in mass by first forcing or drawing the solvent through said mass of wool to extract the grease, then expressing surplus solvent from the Wool by mechanical pressure, then relieving the wool from such pressure, then forcing or drawing a cleansing agent through the wool in order to remove the remaining traces of solvent therefrom, said operations being successively conducted in a single closed chamber, and.

then separating the solvent from the cleansing agent by distillation, substantially as specified.

2. A mode of extracting grease from wool by means of a solvent of the grease, said mode consisting in treating the wool in mass by first forcing or drawing the solvent through said mass of Wool to extract the grease, then expressing surplus solvent from the wool by mechanical pressure, then relieving the wool from such pressure, then forcing or drawing a cleansing agent through the wool in order to remove the remaining traces of solvent therefrom, then expressing surplus cleansing agent from the wool by mechanical pressure, said operations being successively conducted in a single closed chamber, and then separat ing the solvent from the cleansing agent by distillation, substantially as specified.

3. The mode herein described of extracting. grease from wool by means of liquid solvent,

said mode consisting in first forcing or drawing the solvent through the mass of wool to extract the grease, then expressing surplus solvent from the wool by mechanical pressure,

then relieving the wool from such pressure, then forcing or drawing water through the wool in order to remove the remaining traces of solvent therefrom, then expressing surplus water from the wool by mechanical pressure, said operations being successively conducted in the same vessel, and then separating the solvent from the wash-water by distillation, substantially as specified.

4. The mode herein described of extracting grease from wool by means of liquid solvent, said mode consisting in first forcing or draw ing the solvent through the mass of wool to extract the grease, then expressing surplus solvent from the wool by mechanical pressure,

then relieving the wool from such pressure, and then forcing or drawing water upwardly through the mass of wool so as to carry ahead In testimony whereof I have signed .my of it, because of its lesser specific gravity, the name to this specification in the presence of solvent remaining in the wool, and then extwo subscribing Witnesses.

pressing surplus Water from the Wool by me- WALTER ERBEN. chanical pressure, all of said operations being \Vitnesses:

successively conducted in the .same vessel, F. E. BECHTOLD,

substantially as specified. JOS. H. KLEIN. 

